Finally succumbed to boredom and did one more op! Hope you will all like it!
Finally succumbed to boredom and did one more op! Hope you will all like it!
Member since:08.02.2004
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Just what is it about this film?? Eighteen years after it was made, in 1986, it still endears the kind of loyalty and affection most Directors could only fantasise about. People who were not even born when it was released can be found in common rooms and bars across the land forever quoting the endless repertoire of lines that has made Withnail a classic for just about everyone born since 1960.
What makes the film is not the plot. A pair of drunken out of work actors decide to 'get away for a while' after a particularly arduous binge and end up in a dilapidated old cottage in the middle of the Lakes. Throw in Withnail's perverted old uncle, Danny the 'purveyor of rare and prescribed substances', a psychotic poacher and various add ons and there you have it. It's really simple.
What makes it is quite simply the most brilliant script in British cinema history. It's not just the one liners: 'What f*cker said that?' 'Imagine getting into a fight with the f*cker' 'We want the
finest wines available to humanity..' its the way Bruce Robinson's mastery of the English language weaves its way throughout the whole film that does it. If you are a linguaphile like me, and take great delight in the English language you will love it. That is why it is so moreish. You get a new perception each time you watch it, a new appreciation of Robinson's depth and talent.
Add to that the comedy moments, some slapstick- the randy bull scene springs to mind, as well as the delightful way Grant and McGann play their parts and you have a fascinating concoction that produces my favourite film of all time and in my opinion one of the best scripts in cinema history. So just what is it about Withnail & I, well with all these things taken into consideration, it has, as Uncle Monty says a certain 'Je ne sais quoi' sheer brilliance that can only be defined by someone much cleverer than me: Bruce Robinson perhaps??
The Main Characters:
Withnail: the lead of this piece and it seems to be the only lead he will ever play. He is a fool, arrogant, has aristocratic pretentions, believes he is infinitely more talented, good looking and charming that he actually is. He is a tragic figure, and the end scene when Withnail and 'I' finally part is heart wrenching. He is the master of his own downfall, having conned Monty into lending them his cottage he cares more about his lunch than the consequences of his actions. His drunken rendition of Hamlet 's Act 2 scene 2 at the very end shows a man speaking from his heart. He has lost everything, it is the moment 'all ambition ceases' Apparantly (and I dont know if this is true) Robinson originally had Withnail shooting himself in the head at the end. One can only imagine that terrible end is the only thing left to him. Richard E Grant is superb in this role, it is the best he has ever done. What on earth is he doing in Argos ads???
'I' His real name is Peter Marwood, and he as the narrator of the film acts as a kind of spectator to Withnail's behaviour. Much more level headed, and talented than Withnail, it is he who eventually wins the success Withnail only dreams about playing the lead in a 'good little theater'. The end parting scene 'I shall miss you Withnail' shows clearly the last time these two shall meet. Paul McGann plays a much more down to earth character, complimenting Withnail's pretentions. Again this is one of the finest roles he has played.
Uncle Monty: An old, failed homosexual actor. He is Withnail's uncle and clearly lives off the back of inherited wealth rather than the royalties of 'treading the boards'. He is a miserable, lonely old man, forever reminscing about 'the glorious trials of youth, dear boy' and old relationships 'I often wonder where Norman is now...' Richard Griffiths breathes life into Monty. How he managed to do the bedroom scenes without constantly laughing I will never know.
Other stuff: A good soundtrack, Hendrix, Beatles etc captures the mood of the late 1960s..You can tell it's a budget film in places, the end scene on the motorway they pass a sign saying 'M25 London Orbital' as they filmed on the M25 just prior to its opening in 1986. Also in the background you can see 1980s cars flying past. Not a criticism, it maybe adds to the allure of the film's low budget appeal.
I cannot recommend this enough. Put your kids and old folk away cos of the swearing and crack open a bottle or three of 'fine wine' and you will be as hooked as I am.
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Set in 1969, the year in which the hippy dreams of so many young Englishmen went sour, ... more
1986's Bruce Robinson'sWithnail and Iis an enduring British cult. Fellow enthusiasts cry immortal phrases from the endlessly brilliant script to one another like mat...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Set in 1969, the year in which the hippy dreams of so many young Englishmen went sour, ... more
1986's Bruce Robinson'sWithnail and Iis an enduring British cult. Fellow enthusiasts cry immortal phrases from the endlessly brilliant script to one another like mat...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
London. The '60s. two unemployed actors - acerbic, elegantly wasted Withnail (Richard E. ... more
Grant) and the anxiety-ridden I (Paul McGann) - drown their frustrations in booze, pills, and lighter fluid. When Withnail's Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) offers...
Set in 1969, the year in which the hippy dreams of so many young Englishmen went sour, ... more
1986's Bruce Robinson'sWithnail and Iis an enduring British cult. Fellow enthusiasts cry immortal phrases from the endlessly brilliant script to one another like mat...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Hilarious performances all round, great soundtrack, one of the finest scripts known to humanity Disadvantages: Not for the easily-shocked...
james.bridgeman 14.04.2001 ·
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